| FGCU Women's Soccer Game Notes & Information |
| ASUN Quarterfinals |
No. 5 Kennesaw State (10-7-0, 5-3-0 ASUN) at No. 4 UNF (11-5-2, 5-2-1 ASUN) |
| Date // Time |
Friday, Nov. 1 // 5 p.m. |
| Location |
Fort Myers, Fla. // FGCU Soccer Complex |
| Live Statistics |
Stat Broadcast |
| Watch |
YouTube Live |
| Directions // Tickets |
Directions to the FGCU Soccer Complex // Tickets |
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The No. 1 FGCU women's soccer team (11-4-1, 6-1-1 ASUN) is gearing up for the postseason, as the team is set to compete in the ASUN Championship semifinals at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The Eagles, who captured this year's ASUN regular season title, were awarded a first-round bye and will face off against the winner of Friday night's 5 p.m. quarterfinal between No. 4 UNF (11-5-2, 5-2-1, ASUN) and No. 5 Kennesaw State (10-7-0, 5-3-0 ASUN).
The semifinal game at the Nest will be a white out and will be streamed on YouTube Live for fans that cannot attend.
FGCU's regular season title marked the ninth in program history and the team enters the postseason looking for its seventh tournament crown.
The Green and Blue
The regular season title came down to the final weekend of conference play, as FGCU and Lipscomb were knotted up at 16 points apiece. In their final conference match of the season, the Eagles downed Stetson 3-2 (Oct. 27) to take over the top of the rankings. Later that night, the Bisons defeated North Alabama by a score of 6-0 to match the Green and Blue once again.
Since the teams posted a 1-1 draw during their regular season matchup (Sept. 29), the tiebreaker came down to RPI, in which the Eagles held a 99-136 advantage over the Bisons.
The spot in the postseason tournament marks the ninth-consecutive season that head coach
Jim Blankenship's squad has achieved such a feat. In all but one season, FGCU has reached the ASUN Championship match.
Senior
Evdokia Popadinova paces the team with 22 points, which she has tallied from 10 goals and a pair of assists. She has contributed 13 points in conference play and recently checked into the top three of the FGCU all-time scorers list with 24 career goals.
In her final season between the pipes, senior
Melissa Weck has been dominant for the Eagles. She has posted seven individual shutouts and leads the conference having allowed just 13 goals. Her career goals-against average of 0.75 checks in at third in the FGCU record book and fifth in ASUN history.
The Ospreys
North Florida clinched its spot in the postseason tournament after earning a 4-0 victory over the Stetson Hatters (Oct. 24). The team's 11 wins this season match the program's DI record.
The Eagles own a 1-0-0 edge over the Ospreys in the head-to-head tournament record. The last time the programs met in the postseason was during the quarterfinals of the 2011 season, where FGCU claimed a 2-1 victory.
Junior Thais Reiss leads UNF with 28 points, the second-most of any player in the conference. She leads the league in assists (six) and paces the team with 11 goals. In league play, she has found the back of the net three times and has contributed five assists.
In this year's regular season meeting between the two teams (Oct. 17),
Popadinova (Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria/Northwestern Ohio) found the back of the net in the 104th minute to hand the Eagles the double-overtime win.
Weck (Yorba Linda, CA/Esperanza HS) was challenged throughout the match, but had answers to all of the Ospreys attempts, finishing the night with three highlight-reel stops.
The Owls
FGCU and Kennesaw State have met twice during the postseason, both of which have resulted in Eagle victories. The Green and Blue downed the Owls in the 2014 Championship, earning a 3-1 triumph. In 2016, the teams faced off in the semifinals where the Eagles grabbed a 2-1 win to advance to the championship game.
Redshirt-junior Tiffany Sornpao has started all 17 matches in net for the Owls. Her five conference shutouts are the second-most in the league and she has been scored on five times by ASUN opponents.
Kennesaw State's offense has been well-balanced throughout the season, as 10 different Owls have found the back of the net. Freshman Becky Contreras leads the group with five goals, while junior Erin Harris paces the team with 12 points.
Earlier this season, FGCU hosted Kennesaw State at the Nest and handed the visiting team a 2-0 loss (Oct. 10). Freshman
Louise Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) and senior
Silvana Gordon (Medford, NJ/Shawnee HS) scored for the Eagles as the team cruised past the Owls.
The Bracket
The ASUN Championship is a single-elimination tournament format that is played over the course of two weeks. The top six teams, based on the regular season standings, advance to the postseason. Each game is hosted by the highest remaining seed, including the championship, which is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 9.
While the Ospreys and the Owls travel to Fort Myers, No. 3 Liberty and No. 6 NJIT will travel to Nashville where the teams will battle to take on No. 2 Lipscomb.
The Flames and the Highlanders will face off at 7 p.m. on Friday night at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex. The winner will advance to Sunday's 1 p.m. semifinal against the Bisons.
ASUN Standings
1. FGCU * (19 points, 11-4-1, 6-1-1 ASUN)
2. Lipscomb * (19 points, 12-5-1, 6-1-1 ASUN)
3. Liberty * (18 points, 10-6-2, 6-2-0 ASUN)
4. UNF * (16 points, 11-5-2, 5-2-1 ASUN)
5. Kennesaw State * (15 points, 10-7-0, 5-3-0 ASUN)
6. NJIT * (10 points, 6-7-3, 3-4-1 ASUN)
7. North Alabama (6 points, 6-10-0, 2-5-0 ASUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-13-2, 0-7-1 ASUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-12-3, 0-6-1 ASUN)
* - Denotes clinched spot in ASUN Championship
Career records of note:
Goals
1. 66 - Tabby TINDELL - 2013-16
2. 28 - Shannen WACKER - 2011-14
3. 24 - Amber McCALL - 2007-09
24 - Evdokia Popadinova- 2018-19
4. 23 - Lindsey HAW - 2007-10
5. 22 - Paulina SPECKMAIER - 2013-16
7. 21 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19
8. 17 - Ally KASUN - 2012-15
9. 16 - Gina PETRACCO - 2008-11
10. 12 - Olivia ELIAS - 2008-11
12 - Ali ROGERS - 2012-16
Assists
1. 30 - Tabby TINDELL - 2013-16
2. 28 - Ashley CIESIELCZYK - 2008-12
3. 27 - Shannen WACKER - 2011-14
4. 24 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19
5. 22 - Lindsay HAW - 2007-10
22 - Paulina SPECKMAIER - 2013-16
7. 19 - Ally KASUN - 2012-15
8. 18 - Melissa ARNOLD - 2011-14
9. 15 - Holly FRITZ - 2017-18
15 - Caytlan MACKENZIE - 2007-10
15 - Meaghan MULLIGAN - 2015-17
15 - Camille KNUDSTRUP - 2015-18
Points
1. 162 - Tabby TINDELL (66g 30a) - 2013-16
2. 83 - Shannen WACKER (28g 27a) - 2011-14
3. 68 - Lindsay HAW (23g 22a) - 2007-10
4. 66 - Paulina SPECKMAIER (22g 22a) - 2013-16
66 - Marjorie Boilesen (21g 24a) - 2017-19
6. 57 - AMBER McCALL (24g 9a) - 2007-09
57 - Evdokia Popadinova (24g 9a)- 2018-19
8. 53 - Ally KASUN (17g 19a) - 2012-15
9. 44 - Gina PETRACCO (16g 12a) - 2008-11
10. 40 - Ashley CIESIELCZYK (6g 28a) - 2008-12
Saves
1. 274 - Brittany BROWN (56 GA, 274 saves) - 2012-15
2. 261 - Stephanie POWERS (52 GA, 261 saves) - 2008-11
3. 249 - Melissa Weck (55 GA, 239 saves) - 2016-19
4. 55 - Kirsi KEENAN (16 GA, 55 saves) - 2007-10
Most shutouts
1. 37.1 - Brittany BROWN - 2012-15
2. 34.4 - Melissa Weck - 2016-19
3. 31 - Stephanie POWERS - 2008-11
4. 8 - Kirsi KEENAN - 2007-10
Goals against avg.
1. 0.67 - Brittany BROWN (56 GA, 7511 min) - 2012-15
2. 0.73 - Stephanie POWERS (52 GA, 6401 min) - 2008-11
3. 0.75 - Melissa Weck (55 GA, 6575 min) - 2016-19
4. 0.84 - EMILY BARRETT (5 GA, 538 min) - 2007-09
FALL SPORTS SINGLE-GAME, SEASON AND GROUP TICKETS ON SALE
Single game tickets for volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer are on sale now. Prices are $7 for adults and $5 for military/veterans (with ID) and youth (age 15 and under).
Season tickets (entry to each home game) are $55 for volleyball and women's soccer and $40 for men's soccer. Group tickets are $7 for groups of 15 or more and will include reserved seats, group recognition, a group activity and choice of FGCU gear or food. Fall Frequent Flyer passes, which includes a total of 30 entries to all three sports, are just $99.
For all inquiries, you can visit FGCUtickets.com, call 239-590-7145 or stop by the ticket office, which is open daily Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and one hour prior to all home events.
FOLLOW ALONG
For constant, news, photos, videos and updates you can follow the women's soccer team on Twitter @FGCU_WSoccer, on Instagram @FGCU_WSoccer or on Facebook: Facebook.com/FGCUWSoccer. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.
COACH JIM BLANKENSHIP
A veteran of over two decades in collegiate coaching, head coach Jim Blankenship, who was named the ASUN Coach of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, has built FGCU women's soccer into a yearly contender in the ASUN Conference and a rising program in the South Region in just 12 seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to 11 double-digit win seasons, culminating with ASUN Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2011 and 2012 he also led the Eagles to back-to-back ASUN Tournament titles as they became the first team in the history of the university to make it to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles went on to win the 2014 ASUN Tournament and hosted the first NCAA Championship event on campus. The Eagles earned their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance with the 2015 ASUN Tournament Championship and won their first NCAA game at USF in 2015 while finishing 24th in the nation. In 2016, the Eagles made it three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament with a third-straight ASUN Tournament title. A year later, the Eagles became the first ASUN women's soccer program to make four-straight NCAA Tournaments with another tournament title in 2017. Blankenship has guided FGCU to a 167-59-24 (.716) overall record through the first 12 seasons of the program's existence, including an 82-15-15 (.801) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 407-129-35 (.743) over 26 seasons has come while leading FGCU, the University of Miami, Lynn University and St. Thomas University.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 79 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including both men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's basketball again in 2018-19. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in spring 2018 and have outpaced their institution's undergraduate student body GPA each of the past 20 semesters. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl in 2017.
-- FGCUATHLETICS.COM –
